Where did you perceive THAT? Ezra broke me up, he himself casted criticism at Frank, and I followed that up with a question that was no more out-of-line than anyone else's: will N. Korea be Frank's next crusade? I don't think that crossed the lines of etiquette. At least apply some balance to your intepretation, man! I don't think that was fair of you at all.

I think Barber's nailed it, about both Russia and Frank. I'll only add that Frank reflexively hates America and her allies, and instinctively supports anyone who opposes them, including American "dissenters," the one group of Americans he does like. He claims to be sympathetic to the "ordinary" American, but if that mythical creature dares to voice an opinion contrary to his own, Frank unloads his vitriol on them. In his kinder moments, he simply condescends to "ordinary" Americans, pitying the poor fools for allowing themselves to be manipulated and brainwashed by the neo-fascist corporatist imperialist hegemonic capitalist ruling class, which he's wise enough to see through.

"Thought is a strenuous art -- few practice it, and then only at rare times." - David Ben-Gurion

I'm not sure why it is the Israeli's seem to get more upset when a soldier is captured than they do when the soldiers are killed. Kill twenty in combat it's a tragedy. Capture one alive and they go ape.